


The Fifth Wheel Photographer

by crossmeetsarrows



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Cheesy, Fair, Ferris Wheels, Finding inspiration, First Meetings, Friendship, M/M, One Shot, Photographer!Victor, Romance, Viktor with a K, Writer!Yuuri, basically the whole gang - Freeform, photographer!Viktor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 08:44:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11101029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crossmeetsarrows/pseuds/crossmeetsarrows
Summary: My hands shook slightly. I pushed myself to look at him directly. I had to do it right.“Model for me, Yuuri.”





	The Fifth Wheel Photographer

**Author's Note:**

> I just got back to non-academic writing very recently so I might be a bit rusty. Another warning, this story is so cheesy! I'm not a cheesy person myself, but I really tried to show how Viktor fell so hard for Yuuri. Keyword: tried.
> 
> Are there any iskos/iskas here? This fic was inspired by UP Fair Elements 2017.

I just wanted inspiration, that's it, that's what I'm looking for. I'm not searching for the reason of my existence, nor am I trying to find love. I just needed something to spark my creativity for my submissions in the upcoming issue of the university's newsletter. 

This week is the university's annual fair, a 6-day event filled with music. Different bands perform each night until 2 am, and just like any other fair, there are many food stalls selling various cuisine and drinks like takoyaki, shawarma, barbecue, milk tea; there are also the classic fair games where you try to knock over cans or pop as many balloons as you can using darts to win a prize, and of course, the rides: there's the viking, the ferris wheel, the octopus and the flying swing. 

Apparently, these forms of entertainment hardly interest me… Ok, maybe that giant brown poodle plush looks a bit interesting, I can easily pop those balloons with a couple of well-aimed darts. No, Viktor, you have to focus, you didn’t just come here to play some random games!

I walked away hurriedly, more determined this time to find something out of ordinary. It’s almost the same each year and I don't know why I hoped to find something new this time. 

Here I am trailing my four friends who happen to be couples, and I'm not just a third wheel, but a fifth wheel. There's nothing wrong with being single though, I believe that I shouldn't rush myself into finding love. If I do, it will only be forced, and it will not probably last, just like my previous wreck of a relationship. Someone should remind me to fall in love with the actual person and not with my idealized version of that person, or my list of regrets will just get longer and longer. 

“Viktor, could you please take a photo of us from this angle?” Chris requested. 

Right, this Valentine's day, my friends were able to convince me to be their fifth wheel photographer, with a fee of course. I don't mind anyway. I already finished my papers and I could use this time at the fair to find something or perhaps someone that could provide me with unique ideas for my next photoshoot. 

“JJ, we should try the ferris wheel!” Isabella pulled her boyfriend towards the line. 

“We should too!” Chris took his boyfriend’s hand as well and joined the line. 

I followed them anyway, even if I have to be alone in the cart. 

“Guys, this is the only ride we haven't tried yet!” Someone exclaimed from behind me. 

“The ferris wheel is normally for couples, you know?” A student with black-colored hair and blue glasses responded timidly. He’s quite cute. 

Wait, Viktor, you’re supposed to be taking photos of your friends; they paid you for this. Concentrate.  
I was about to turn away from the group of friends when the boy with the blue glasses came closer and told me that there's already a wide gap in the line because I forgot to move forward. 

I looked at him wide-eyed as I processed what he said. Shit, he's too cute and I didn't really hear what he told me at first. I only understood when Chris asked what's taking me so long. What an embarrassing first impression. 

I could see Chris smirking and JJ laughing at me from the corner of my eye; I just sent them the coldest glare that I could muster. I hoped they got the hint and cut it out before I embarrass myself even further. 

Chris moved closer to me and whispered, “that guy you like is Yuuri Katsuki by the way, he’s the new literary editor of the newsletter. I have his number if you want.” 

“Chris, that's a tempting offer, but I’d rather talk to him first and get his number on my own.” I’ll not deny that I almost grabbed that chance to get his number, but it would sound very strange and creepy if I just text him from out of the blue, right? The last thing I want to happen is to scare off this beautiful Asian man. 

“Good luck, Viktor, it seems like you have already fallen hard!” JJ chuckled. 

I pinched the bridge of my nose. It will be a long night. 

“Alright, get in the cart! Pairs only! No, you can't go alone and you can't go by threes either!” The one in charge of the controls said. 

One of Yuuri’s friends protested and tried to explain that they can't just leave him. The next thing I noticed was that we were paired up in another cart. I wanted to thank every divine being on that exact moment. It was silent for a few minutes as we waited for the ride to be filled up with passengers. I was about to break the ice, but Yuuri caught me off guard by introducing himself first. 

“H-hi, I'm Katsuki Yuuri.” Yuuri tentatively held out his hand. 

“Viktor Nikiforov.” I shook it, I wouldn't have let go of his hand to be honest, but social norms dictate that people who just met each other shouldn't be allowed to too much skin-to-skin contact. 

“I know.” He replied. 

I looked at him in the eye and I wasn't sure of what to say next. 

“Y-your photos are really good and I make stories about them. Sometimes! I-I mean-! Ugh, what am I saying?!” My companion buried his face in his hands and I couldn’t help myself but feel proud that my works have garnered this brunette beauty’s attention.

The ferris wheel began its ascent and it became quiet in our cart. Yuuri was deliberately facing away from me, pretending that he's simply enjoying the view. 

“You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” I attempted in making conversation once more. Please, Yuuri, don’t ignore me. 

“Not really, it's just… I feel like I got stuck in being down for a while that I have forgotten what it feels like to be at the top.” He finally faced me again and gave me a tender smile, he almost made my heart stop.

I realized that I wanted to see that smile more often. I wanted to be the reason why Yuuri would smile like that. He felt like he was down? Then I want him to feel like he’s on top of the world and that nothing could stop him. I’ll take as many photos to inspire him to create more stories. I still couldn't fully grasp that my photos were his inspiration when I barely have inspiration myself at present. No, not at present. I didn't have inspiration til I was dragged by my friends to this fair and then I found him, Yuuri Katsuki, the editorial board’s rising star. 

I glanced at the tiny stalls down below, I scanned the sea of people jamming to the band’s music onstage, they’re all so far away. I looked up at a sky full of stars reminding me of endless possibilities, that life isn't just some mindless routine, it's actually filled with surprises and so far, Yuuri Katsuki was the biggest surprise yet. 

“The view is beautiful, don't you think?” I mused. 

I could have sworn that I saw from the corner of my eye Yuuri with his cheeks tinted red, and he wasn’t paying attention to the view but he was actually looking at me. Or maybe I’m just being a hopeless romantic and now I’m assuming things.

“Yeah, it sure is.” He smiled again.

“...but you’re even more beautiful than this, Viktor.” 

Did I hear that correctly? He mumbled something after responding to me. That’s right, maybe I just misheard. Yuuri seemed too shy to say such words outright on a first meeting. Regardless if I heard it right or not, I couldn’t slow down my heartbeat.

“Oh… Oh… Oh… Oh….” The sound came from the stage. 

“I know this song!” We said at the same time. Our eyes met and I realized that we have this same thing that both of us love. 

“But this is the everlasting version!” I wish this moment with you is the one that’s everlasting. Wait a minute, that sounded cheesy, what’s happening to me?

“I have it on iTunes? And also the show’s OST! I’m a fan!” Nice save! Don’t bring out the cheesy lines and lame puns yet! Unfortunately, we’re haven’t yet reached that stage.

“You’re a Ryu On Ice fan?!” Yuuri exclaimed, giving me a disbelieving look.

“Chris and his boyfriend convinced me to watch it, and I do not regret it.”  
Well, I don’t really watch anime shows, but Chris is part of the figure skating team, and Ryu on Ice is very popular with the skating community. There was a time when our professor was a no-show in class so Chris connected his laptop to the projector and showed us the first 4 episodes. We all got hooked.

“You're so beautiful tonight  
mitoreteita no  
sunadokei sae  
C'mon and take my breath away” 

I sang even if my Japanese accent is horrible, I didn’t care because Yuuri deserves to hear this no matter what. He is beautiful and he takes my breath away, and I doubt that I’ll think of him that way for only tonight.

I ended up making him laugh with my antics, but he sang along anyway. I just met him tonight but I was so sure that I truly wanted him in my life. There is something about Yuuri that’s pulling me towards him, it’s not just his physical appearance though. There is a difference between love and lust. Perhaps it’s the brilliance of his eyes, perhaps it’s his infectious laughter, perhaps it’s the sound of his voice, there’s just something about him that makes me want to throw away everything else and do whatever it takes to be with him and make him fall for me as well. 

I had my fair share of past failed relationships and one night-stands. I may have reached the point where I stopped believing that I could also find true love. I know, I’m still young; I’m still a college student and there is a huge unexplored world waiting for me, but a series of betrayals can easily distort a person’s judgement. I already decided to focus solely on my future career. I thought that it’s the only way I can save myself from even more heartbreaks, but Yuuri… Yuuri just makes me believe that I also have a chance. Maybe it’s possible to have a great career and find true love at the same time. It might be too good to be true, but what’s stopping me from hoping?

The ride finished too soon, but I won’t let this thing that happened between us end here. His hands were already on the latch, he was ready to leave the cart, but I prevented him before it’s too late. My heart was beating fast. I had to do it, or else I’ll just regret not attempting anything. I couldn’t let my chance go to waste.

My hands shook slightly. I pushed myself to look at him directly. I had to do it right.

“Model for me, Yuuri.”

**Author's Note:**

> I finally broke my writing curse! I was rejected by the girl I love and ever since then I couldn't write romance stories. I immersed myself in my academic workload and extracurriculars, applied for leadership positions and whatnot. I just got back to non-academic writing very recently.
> 
> Again, are there any iskos/iskas here? This fic was inspired by UP Fair Elements 2017.


End file.
